AdamSmith Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 How wide is Bernie Sanders' appeal? This cheering Fox News audience is a clue https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2019/apr/16/bernie-sanders-appeal-cheering-fox-news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RA1 Posted April 17, 2019 Members Share Posted April 17, 2019 (edited) Most everyone wants something for nothing or paid for by others. Unfortunately the world does not work that way. Best regards, RA1 Edited April 17, 2019 by RA1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamSmith Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 10 hours ago, RA1 said: Most everyone wants something for nothing or paid for by others. Unfortunately the world does not work that way. Best regards, RA1 So you are saying that if, in a democratic (small-d) republic, a majority wants redistributive wealth laws, their majoritarian wish under law should be denied. How is that consonant with the basic principles of a democracy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RA1 Posted April 18, 2019 Members Share Posted April 18, 2019 Of course not. If we are ever so silly as to enact redistributive wealth laws, no doubt we will deserve what negatively happens. Shall you be the first in line to give up substantially more of your income? Best regards, RA1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RA1 Posted April 18, 2019 Members Share Posted April 18, 2019 There is a saying which I believe to be substantially true. It goes like this. If all the money in the US was distributed equally to every citizen, within 5 years it would be the same as it was to start. i.e. those that had the money before will have it again. Best regards, RA1 MsGuy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MsGuy Posted April 19, 2019 Members Share Posted April 19, 2019 Actually, RA1, I agree that wealth would tend to reconcentrate but the process seems likely take a bit more than 5 years lol. And, for that life of me, I fail to see how beneficiaries of multi-generational trust funds (Fords, Duponts, Rockerfellas and the like) could recoup their losses given that they would lack the where-with-all to purchase politicians to bend events in their favor. IMHO congresscritters are a disloyal bunch once the checks stop coming. caeron and AdamSmith 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RA1 Posted April 19, 2019 Members Share Posted April 19, 2019 Most folks become disloyal when the checks stop coming. If you cannot purchase pols, what good are they? Al seems to have died some time ago. Here I mean altruism. Best regards, RA1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caeron Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 (edited) I think a lot of people for obvious reasons overestimate the skill and underestimate the luck and circumstance involved in their wealth. I'm with former president Carter. Why can we afford to fight wars all over the planet endlessly, but we can't afford to actually offer healthcare to our own citizens? Edited April 19, 2019 by caeron AdamSmith and MsGuy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RA1 Posted April 19, 2019 Members Share Posted April 19, 2019 We cannot afford to fight wars all over the planet AND we cannot afford the healthcare being suggested by some current pols. It is not either or but neither. Pixie dust doesn't do it when the country is over 20 trillion dollars in debt with over 100 trillion in contingent liabilities. I agree luck is often underestimated and it DOES count. Best regards, RA1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caeron Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 You're right. All sorts of other countries manage to provide universal healthcare, but somehow, we can't. We brag about being the richest country on earth, except when people need help, then we're broke. And we already do provide universal healthcare, just very badly. Hospitals are required by law to provide emergency care even for those who can't pay. So, of course, those costs just get spread around to those that can. We have an enormous and obscene for-profit healthcare system that is more expensive and shittier healthcare system than most other comparable countries. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-overall-years-life-lost-1990-2017 It is, however, far more profitable to wall street than a well-run healthcare system, so our shitty system does have its supporters who get rich on the death and misery of so many. AdamSmith 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RA1 Posted April 20, 2019 Members Share Posted April 20, 2019 (edited) Personally I have had mixed results from other countries medical practice. While in NZ I fell and broke a fibula. I happened to be visiting with a radiologist who diagnosed it as a sprain without benefit of X-rays. One cannot just go into a hospital in NZ and get X-rays or any treatment. So, I hobbled around for a few days, flew home, went to my orthopedist and got a proper cast. Private doctors are available in NZ and I used one of them on another occasion with good results and inexpensive care and Rx. On another trip a pilot who was accompanying me got strep throat or some such. We were in Goose Bay, Maritime Provinces at the time. We went to the local dispensary and he got treatment. Free. Thank you very much. Sent him home via airline. Another friend sincerely believes that his father died because he could not get treatment without waiting several months for same. Both the friend and father were UK citizens with the father living in England. Of course this is not a valid sample, merely my experiences. Best regards, RA1 Edited April 20, 2019 by RA1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bcdaron Posted April 24, 2019 Members Share Posted April 24, 2019 He is extremely popular here, he will likely be the president if the DNC doesn't block him. So i would sell my shares in United Healthcare Group if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
